UN: 21M children in Mideast risk missing out on education
None
An estimated 21 million children in the Middle East and North Africa are out of school or at risk of dropping out despite improved access to education in the region over the past decade, the United Nations said in a report released Wednesday.
Governments in the region, which includes 20 countries stretching from Morocco to Iraq, have invested in education in the past 10 years, which has helped push up enrollment rates, according to the UNESCO and UNICEF report. But progress has slowed in recent years in the face of conflict, poverty and discrimination.
"At a time of such change and turmoil, this region simply cannot afford to let 21 million children fall by the wayside," said Maria Claivis, regional director for UNICEF. "These children must be given the opportunity to acquire the skills they need through education in order to play their part in the region's transformation."
